Archived Outdoors

Comment call for red wolf rules

out wolvesA series of three public hearings in January will take public input on the future of protection for the reintroduced red wolf and continuation of coyote hunting in the five-county area in northeastern North Carolina where the wolf was reintroduced. 

The hearings will all be held in eastern North Carolina, but written comments can be made by Jan. 14 online at www.ncwildlife.org/proposedregulations.aspx

The comment period comes following the conclusion of a lawsuit waged by multiple environmental groups against the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The groups claimed that wreckless coyote hunting laws were jeopardizing endangered red wolves in eastern N.C. — the only wild population of red wolves on the planet. 

Laws had allowed liberal coyote hunting in red wolf territory, including at night, exacerbating the risk that the wolves, which look similar to coyotes, would be shot mistakenly. Such accidental deaths had been documented. However, the Wildlife Commission said that the exploding coyote population was a nuisence that required all available tools to combat. 

The lawsuit, brought by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the Red Wolf Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife and the Animal Welfare Institute, ended in an out-of-court agreement that daytime coyote hunting will be allowed on private lands only. Further, hunters wanting to shoot coyotes must obtain a special permit and report their kill afterward. In the rest of the state, coyote hunters may hunt any time of the day with artificial lights, and no special permit or reporting of kills will be required. 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.